Alice: hiding from myself
by MCRinmybrain
Summary: ONESHOT "Alice the real danger isn't just the new ruler it is yourself! She is you yet not you!" Wonderland is in danger: under the rule of the red queens son. But Alice faces an even larger danger! slight Alice/Hatter near the end REVIEW FOR VIRTUAL TEA


**A/N: This is just a oneshot I randomly came up with since I haven't done many stories so I'm sorry if it turns out bad! Its set a few months after Tim Burton's film finished, this version is similar to Tim Burton's version except Alice is 16 and lives in an orphanage. I do not own Alice in Wonderland!**

Alice sipped the tea and smiled: she was glad to be back. The colourful surrounding made it so much more exciting than grey reality. She knew it was a dream; it was the only way she could get into Wonderland nowadays. She remembered how for years she had been crawling into rabbit holes in a vain attempt to return to Wonderland for real ever since she first fell into Wonderland when she was only young.  
>"Why must imagination be much more appealing than reality?" Alice asked sadly to Hatter.<br>The Hatter looked up from his steaming cup of tea, his florescent orange hair a wild sea flowing from underneath his top hat, his gigantic green eyes shone like diamonds as they looked into her deep brown ones: "Alice, if imagination was like reality it wouldn't be imaginary any more, it would be real. But imagination being imaginary makes it seem more fascinating than reality."  
>Alice looked down and fiddled with her blue dress sadly. <em>But I want this to be real!<em> She thought to herself.

The ground rumbled and the tea cups shook, spilling tea all over the table. Alice looked up to see a dark cloud of doom spreading slowly across the sky and Alice had now learnt what this meant: Vladimir as was approaching. Vladimir was the Red Queen's son and the dark clouds matched his dark diseased heart, Alice had thought the Red Queens cruelty was unmatchable but Vladimir's reign had done far more than match it. Alice sadly looked at where March Hare used to sit; Hatter had sworn to avenge his death but so far neither he nor Alice had succeeded just as yet. If Vladimir was on his way here than they had to move before he found them. Hatter removed his hat from his head and clicked his fingers: Alice had to quickly jump up to avoid being sucked into his hat like the table and everything on it. Alice always admired how such a long table could fit into such a small hat! Hatter took Alice by the hand and they ran as far as their legs could carry them; for they knew that if they were caught they'd end up trapped like dormouse or dead like March Hare. 

They had been running for a while when Hatter suddenly stopped. Alice pulled desperately at his hand: "Hatter please, we have to keeping running! The cloud is almost upon us, and you know what that means!"  
>Hatter bent down and placed his hands on her shoulders. She could feel his hands were shaking while his eyes had become dark and filled with fear: "Alice the real danger isn't just the new ruler it is yourself! If you let down your guard you will be hunted by yourself! She is you yet not you! The same yet different!"<br>Alice was about to ask what he meant but she could feel herself fading away, which meant one thing: she was waking up! "Hatter, don't let me wake-!"

Alice woke up with her throat feeling like it was filled with hundreds of needles; she must have been screaming in her sleep again. She hated it in the blasted orphanage! It was all grey: the exact opposite of Wonderland! She missed her favourite grey dress that she had grown out of; she only had enough money to buy a brown dress- that fitted like a large sack- to replace it. The room she was given was also dark but not even black: it was grey, she despised grey: It was boringly neither bright nor dark. Not to mention her room was exactly like every other child's room in the orphanage; she hated being treated like an exact copy of everyone else; she was her own person.  
>The dining room looked the exact same as the bedroom but with a large table instead of a bed. Alice grumpily sat down and saw that it was once again dull bland gruel for breakfast. "I'm surprised my hair hasn't turned dull grey at this point." Alice mumbled to herself.<br>"Careful! It will if you're not!" Alice was glad to see Veronica sitting next to her, she was one of the few friends she had in the orphanage and her bright orange hair reminded her of Hatter.  
>"Alice, did your dream turn into a nightmare again? You look dark under the eyes."<br>Alice nodded; nightmares often left her tired. Veronica looked at her sympathetically.  
>"Alice, they're only dreams." She then lowered her voice so only Alice could hear, "even if they're more than just dreams, don't tell other people that. They'll think you're mad and send you to <em>the asylum." <em>Veronica's eyes filled with concern and fear as she said the last two words and Alice knew why. Veronica had spent 3 years in the asylum and she still had nightmares about it. Alice never asked why she was in the asylum in the first place since she could tell Veronica was deeply affected by the experience and wanted to forget about it.  
>"Anyway," Alice happily said to change the subject, "what should we do today?"<br>Veronica had a spoonful of gruel and pondered while chewing, "Maybe look in the attic? To see if there's anything interesting up there?"  
>Alice nodded while eating her gruel, it wasn't exactly an adventure but there wasn't much else they could do in the orphanage, plus she had never been in the attic because she had always been too scared to go up there alone: she never knew why but she always got a bad vibe about that attic.<p>

The attic was incredibly dusty and it was clear no one else had been here in a while.  
>"Even the dust is boringly grey." Grinned Alice while blowing some dust off her shoes, "Have you found anything yet?"<br>"Just a torn apart teddy bear and 2 old books written in Latin. How about you?"  
>Alice was about to reply that she hadn't found anything but then she saw something covered in a sheet at the end of the room, "Wait, what's that?" She walked over and took a peek under the sheet, "Cool, it's a mirror! It actually looks really nice too!"<br>Veronica looked at it from the other side of it and took off the sheet. The wooden frame around it had impressive carving of roses and skulls while the wood it's self was a lovely black oak.

Veronica had helped Alice to move the mirror to her room, even after Veronica had left a few hours ago; Alice was still admiring the carvings in the woodwork and amazed at how clean it was despite being in that dusty attic for god knows how long!  
>"ALICE KINGSLEY!" A woman's voice boomed from down the stairs, "If you don't come down for supper this instant you won't get it at all!"<br>Alice knew that the woman wasn't joking; the staff of the orphanage could be very strict, so she quickly went to leave the room. When she reached the door how she could have sworn that she saw something change in the reflection in the mirror, but when she looked back it was just her reflection: looking the same as always. Alice rubbed her head, _I must be imagining things,_ she thought,_ I'm just paranoid after what Hatter said._

Alice fell to sleep even quicker than she usually did that night; she guessed it was due to her being eager to get back to Wonderland. However the part of Wonderland she was in was no longer bright and full of life; instead it was now dark with the appearance of the happiness that was once there had been ripped from the very core of the earth and destroyed! She heard a groan coming from a curled up heap behind her, she gasped and dashed to his side when she realised who it was. "Hatter? HATTER!" no response, so she decided to try a different approach, "Tarrant Hightopp! If you don't wake up I'll be force to-"  
>Hatter's eyes flew open; they were a dangerous, angry yellow before changing to the normal bright green. "Ah, Alice thank goodness he didn't find you!" He smiled although it looked like it hurt for his lips were badly cut, "You left just in time! I'm afraid Vladimir caught up with me; but he didn't kill me because he was looking for you. If you were there I fear that he would have tried to harm you. But he didn't find you and you're not harmed! This is relieving news, I shall futterwacken to celebrate! " Hatter attempted to leap up but ended up falling back down in pain; Vladimir had hurt him extremely badly which caused Alice's stomach to twist with hate- which for Alice was extremely out of character.- "Hatter, rest you're injured!"<br>"This is nothing compared to what he could have done to me, so don't fret Alice for these will easily heal." Hatter then looked away and for a few seconds his eyes turned that dangerous yellow and his voice changed to a Brogue accent like what always happened when he turned angry: "Thes is naethin' compared tae whit tae he did thackery. i'll free mallymkin frae 'er prison 'en avenge thackery's death! doon wi'-" Hatter stopped when he realised they didn't have a cruel nickname for Vladimir, when his mother the red queen ruled they had called her "Bloody big head", but Vladimir had a normal sized head, Hatter clicked his fingers when he came up with an idea, "Doon wi' th' spawn ay th' big headed devil**!**"  
>This caused Alice to giggle, but the laughter was short lived as the sound of demonic hooves clicking rapidly against the ground filled the air. Alice and Hatter exchanged fearful looks as they both knew what this meant: Vladimir was near and they didn't have long to escape. Alice pulled up Hatter and helped to drag him along.<br>"Alice it's no use," Hatter said while limping, "I'm slowing you down; he'll get you at this point! Leave me behind I can buy you some time!"  
>Alice shook her head, "I'm not going to let you die for me!"<br>_But I don't want you to die either! _Hatter thought.  
>The sound of hooves came ever closer, Alice knew how to save Hatter, "You said that he was looking for me, right?" Hatter nodded "You have to hide! Then he won't find you if you stay quiet."<br>Hatter shook his head, "Alice I won't let you-"  
>"I'm sorry, Tarrant," Alice pushed him into an incredibly thick bush. Hatter struggled to try to get up but it was like his legs were too weak to support him, he would have pleaded with Alice but he saw one of his blood red horses approach her, talking now would have made Alice's sacrifice worthless!<p>

Alice took a deep breath and crossed her arms; at least if Vladimir killed her he might leave Wonderland alone, even if it was just for a short while. She did her best to look determined and unafraid but she had to admit the horses chilled her to the bone; their bodies were in fact made of red flames that towered over her with their eyes black pits of doom. This was the first time she had seen Vladimir in person and she was expecting to see a Lilliputian man with a face even his mother didn't love, but he was entirely different. He was actually tall, muscular, with dark eyes. He looked more like his father Stayne while the only features of his mother was that he had inherited her blood red hair and pale skin. He jumped down from his horse landing literally right in front of Alice, causing her to involuntarily step back.  
>Vladimir took a step forward causing Alice to take another step backwards, "You must be Alice," he wrapped a curl around one of his pale fingers, "I've been looking for you-"<br>Alice grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand away from her hair, "You killed Thackery!"  
>"The March Hare?" He cocked his head to the side, "He was mentally ill and quite mad my dear, it was the humane thing to do."<br>" Death is never humane, especially not the way you tortured him! You know nothing of humanity and kindness!" She pushed him away from her and glared at him with utter disgust, "SPAWN OF THE SHE-DEVIL!"  
>He took a large step forward and grabbed her shoulders hard, he kept walking forwards yet again making her move backwards with each step, he towered over her and his eyes digging deep into hers, ". TO ME LIKE THAT!"<br>He raised his hand and went to slap her face but his hand went straight through thin air. He let out a cry of frustration that could have been heard throughout Wonderland.

Alice woke up with a gasp and a stinging pain in her arm. She looked down to see a long cut on her arm that was bleeding slightly. Alice searched for how she got the cut and found a long sharp blade laying in front of the mirror. She picked it up and looked at with both astonishment and curiosity, "How?" She looked at the mirror to see a girl with short black hair and a dark purple dress crouching, ready to pounce with a lopsided evil grin on her face. When Alice looked around the room however, no one else was in there. With an amused expression the girl jumped _out_ of the mirror and backed Alice against the wall. She clasped her cold long nailed fingers around Alice's throat; her eyes were pure white and psychotic. Alice had remembered what Hatter had said: _Alice the real danger isn't just the new ruler it is yourself! If you let down your guard you will be hunted by yourself! She is you yet not you! The same yet different. _She also noticed how her own hair was light while her eyes were dark, but the girl's hair was dark and her eyes were as light as snow!  
>The girl chuckled: "Yes Alice, I'm the opposite you," she said as if she had read Alice's mind –for all Alice knew she might have done! - "The mirror was brought here from Wonderland by that boy, what's his name? OH yes I remember now, it was brought here by Vladimir. He has powers that sadly he rarely uses! I'm not quite sure <em>how<em> he got them, I'm guessing he made a potion that granted him them. Anyway, I've become distracted," The psychotic girl cackled –Alice noted that the girl obviously found it difficult to stop chattering; as well as she was more demented than anyone she ever met: the girl was demented in a negative way- , "I do believe you have realised that the mirror creates the opposite of whoever looks into it. My oh my Alice you are painfully good and pure it makes me want to be sick! It looks like you're in trouble!" The girl- the evil Alice- clicked her fingers and small flames appeared at her fingertips, Evil Alice glided the flames dangerously close to the real Alice's flesh. Alice hated fire with all of her heart, (her parents had died in a fire while Alice was in wonderland for the first time), and Alice knew that Evil Alice knew about this and that it was probably why Evil Alice had the power of fire. "But, sweet Alice, if I killed you now the fun would be over too quickly." With an evil grin that sent shivers down Alice's spine, the Evil Alice vanished; leaving the room filled the room with a eerie silence. Alice laid down on the bed shaking; she felt too scared to sleep but she had to go back to Wonderland to make sure Hatter was ok.

Alice was in the exact place she was standing before she woke up, but thankfully Vladimir had now left. Hatter leapt out of the bush where he was forced to hide and- having clearly got his energy back- dashed over to Alice and pulled her into a warm and relieved embrace. "Alice! Are you alright? He didn't hurt you did he?" His eyes turned to a furious mixture of yellow and orange, "I saw that he gripped your shoulders and that he tried to slap you with his filthy hands! He tried to leave a mark on your perfect face! If he hit you I would have made him wish he was dead! Not that I only like you for your looks, in fact you have a great personality!-"  
>"Hatter!" He had started on one of his rants again.<br>His eyes turned back to green. "I'm fine."  
>Alice she rested her head on his brown coat that smelt of the sweet aroma of tea-"He didn't hurt me, Hatter. But it is not Vladimir that is the main cause of my worry anymore." Hatter looked at her with his eyes filled with concern; he knew that if anyone was worse than Vladimir then Alice had good reason to worry.<br>"You see Hatter; I found this mirror in the attic. But it created-I don't know how to explain it- an... Opposite me?"  
>"That mirror was a "verflucht Schöpfer"; an incredibly rare mirror that produces "opak-odrazu", or "opposite people" as they're also known; a rare species created to become the opposite of the first person they see." Hatter sighed sadly and started to stroke Alice's hair, "A prophecy foretold of a dangerous opak-odrazu being created with the enough power and hatred to rip Wonderland at the seams. I tried to warn you Alice but it was inevitable. My sweet Alice, I do believe this is a time where your kindness has gotten you into trouble."<p>

_Did he just call me HIS sweet Alice?_ Alice felt her stomach do flips; no one had ever called her that before! She could have kicked herself for not staying in Wonderland when she had the chance; the ship to China had sunk before it had even left port, the business once owned by her father years ago had fallen apart, and she could never explore the world like she wished due to people treating her like she couldn't be trusted with the simplest of things just because of her age and gender!  
>Alice looked up at Hatter, "I'm going to help you stop her and to stop Vladimir! But to do that we both need to be alive, he knows that where you'll be is where I'll be! We have to keep apart-"<br>Hatter held her hands and pulled her close to him, his eyes grey with sadness and voice filled with desperation: "Please Alice, don't leave! You're one of the few friends that haven't been captured or slaughtered! I don't want you to be hurt!"  
>"Silly Tarrant, I will still visit Wonderland in my dreams, I just meant that for a few visits we should keep apart, just so that he is less likely to find both of us. Meanwhile, besides helping to defeat Vladimir and the opak-odrazu; I'll be finding a way to come back to Wonderland for real, and <em>for good!<em>"  
>The last few words caused Hatter mood to change drastically that a smile engulfed his face: <em>She's going to stay in Wonderland? <em>He thought, _I shall certainly Futterwacken most vigorously when she finds a way to come here in a way besides through her dreams!_

Alice had been walking along for hours now, she felt sad saying goodbye to Tarrant even if it was only for a few days and she had been holding back tears as she walked away from him; she could have sworn she could have heard a soft, sad whimper as she had started to leave, but she couldn't be sure. She wasn't sure what she was going to do if she found Vladimir or the opak-odrazu, she guessed that she could find or make herself a weapon. Either way she'd have to be careful; she may have came here in her dream but she could still be injured.  
>"Hello Blondie," Alice turned around to see the opak-odrazu standing right behind her, (she guessed that <em>Blondie<em> was what it was going to call her), "you must be cold, let me _warm you up!"_ Before Alice could fight her off the opak-odrazu clamped her hands on Alice's arms. Her arms felt like they had been thrusts into a roaring hot fire and the smell of burnt flesh filled Alice's nostrils: "Do you expect me to be _scared_, opak-odrazu?"  
>"Not yet Blondie, for now I expect you to burn! Just like your dear friend in that grey world that you live in!"<p>

Alice suddenly found herself in the orphanage once again, the opak-odrazu's words ran through her head: I _expect you to burn like your dear friend in that grey world!  
><em>"No... VERONICA!" Alice ran as fast as she could to her friend's room: _please, PLEASE be safe!  
><em>But when she got there it was too late, the other children in the orphanage had crowded the corridor outside Veronica's room; Alice could see Veronica's body being taken away. It was burn beyond recognition, the now flaky skin was pitch black and her hair had been completely burnt off; Alice only just managed not to throw up with disgust and fear. Alice quickly ran back to her room and wept into her pillow at the loss of her closest friend that she had in the orphanage.  
>Alice felt arms wrap around her, "sssshh, it's ok, Alice." Alice looked up to see it was Vladimir then harshly pushed him away and backed away.<br>"Stay. Away. From. Me!"  
>Vladimir took a step towards her, "Or what, Alice? I've sound proofed the room! Screaming for help won't work."<br>Vladimir lunged at Alice, who managed to move out of the way just in time, causing him bang his head hard on the mirror; he looked up... straight into his reflection. He screamed something in a language Alice didn't recognise- although Alice could tell by his tone of voice that he was probably swearing- before vanishing in a flash of black smoke. Alice watched as Vladimir's opak-odrazu slowly climbed out of the mirror, at least Alice knew that this one wouldn't be evil if it was the opposite of Vladimir. The boy ruffled his long black hair and blinked his pale blue eyes.  
>"Y-you're Vladimir's opak-odrazu?"<br>The boy nodded, "But call me Opak; I don't want to be in anyway compared to that _monster_!" He looked at Alice curiously, "You're crying after what the other opak-odrazu did to your friend?"  
>Alice nodded and started to cry slightly: "Why did she do it? Besides her being evil and wanting to hurt me?"<br>Opak wiped away her tears, "Humans contain a hidden essence that is released when they die, opak-odrazu have to consume that essence every few days to survive, it is also that essence that causes us to want to kill the human we are the opposite of with all of our heart."  
>"So, you want to kill Vladimir, while my opak-odrazu wants to kill me?"<br>Opak nodded: "I might be good Alice, but I need to kill him! I want to do it but yet-" He looked down and his own eyes filled with tears, "but I know it's wrong! I hate myself for wanting to do it!"  
>Alice took his hand and spent ages comforting him and reassuring him that even though he wanted to kill Vladimir so did many other people in Wonderland, meaning it didn't make him evil like the real Vladimir. Alice couldn't help but feel slightly attracted to Opak: he was sweet; adorable; and kind at heart. But Alice loved another person more! No, she had to right to say that: she hadn't even told him how she felt! But it still felt wrong...<br>He looked down at her arms and stared at the burn marks near her elbows left by her opak-odrazu, "S-she done this to you, Alice? While in Wonderland? If you can be hurt in Wonderland then maybe she can too!"  
>Now that Alice thought about it, it did make sense, and with an opak-odrazu on her side maybe she could defeat the Evil Alice!<br>"Alice, you get to Wonderland through your dreams. Well, Vladimir is very much afraid of dreaming," _No wonder! His mother ignored him her whole life and his father killed her then himself a day after being exiled._ "So, I have the power to make people sleep. With your permission, I could use that power on you and meet you in Wonderland."  
>When Alice agreed to the idea, he cupped her face in his hands and before she knew it she drifted into the world of sleep.<p>

Alice found herself standing next to a lovely blue lake; obviously Vladimir hadn't been to this part of Wonderland since this area was still full of life. She felt a tap on her shoulder and saw that Opak was behind her.  
>"Now Alice, we simply wait for you opak-odrazu to arrive and that's when we strike."<br>Alice looked at him curiously, "Don't I need something to fight her off with?"  
>His face fell, "I'll give you something when it is <em>needed.<em>" Alice didn't know why but she didn't like the sudden change of his mood; it made her feel perturbed.  
>"Alice!" Two cheerful voices cried simultaneously, Alice turned to see Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum strolling towards them.<br>"Alice we're so happy to see you!" said Tweedle Dee.  
>Tweedle Dum swatted his identical twin on the arm, "No, it's: because we've seen you we are happy!"<br>They both looked at Opak with confused expressions: "Dum, who is this person? I've never seen him before, is it one of those "Opposite people" Hatter was talking about?"  
>"I believe so Dee. But who does he look the opposite of?" He took a moment to ponder, "He must be the opposite of Vladimir! That means he must be extremely good hearted!"<br>"Not completely good, no how! Vladimir WAS looking for Alice, and he is the opposite of him!"  
>Alice threw a worried look at Opak and started to back away from him, he grabbed her arm tight and produced a sharp blade in his left hand: "They're right, Alice. I'm the opposite of Vladimir! This means I HATE whom he LOVES! So, I really DESPISE YOU, Alice!" He pulled back the blade; ready to strike, Alice closed her eyes and waited for the pain. But instead of hearing her screams filling the air; she heard his. Alice cautiously opened one eye to see Opak on fire bellowing and shaking in agony as the opak-odrazu version of Alice towered over him yelling: "Alice is MY prey!" She raised a high heeled boot high above his neck, "Not YOURS!" she then swiftly brought down her foot with a fatal <em>crack<em>; Opak's lifeless corpse laid sprawled out on the ground as the fire slowly burnt out.  
>She turned her attention towards Alice and made her way towards her: like a hungry wolf moving towards a trapped rabbit. Tweedle Dee tried to stop her but ended up getting his spine shattered for his effort. She grabbed a fistful of Alice's hair and pulled hard; "I think this would be better in a place without <em>interruptions.<em>" She gave an evil glare at the Tweedle twins.

Alice was forcefully dragged out of Wonderland and back into her room in the orphanage. The opak-odrazu flung Alice from her bed, who landed with a deafening thud against the wall before being pulled up and then held against the wall.  
>"I wonder what will burn off first," The opak-odrazu produced a flame in her right hand; , "Your blonde hair, or your pale skin?"<br>"Beast! Let her go!" Vladimir appeared in a flash of black smoke.  
>The opak-odrazu batted her eyelashes at him; "Aaawww, you meanie! I never got to have any <em>fun<em> with her!" She glared at Alice before vanishing.  
>Vladimir walked towards her with an outstretched hand: "Alice?"<br>_Why didn't he let her kill me?_ It took Alice a moment to remembered what Opak had said- well, **screamed**- at her before he died. _Oh no! That brute thinks that he's in love with me! _ She looked for a way to get away from him, but she was cornered and she wouldn't be able to reach the door in time!  
>Vladimir placed both hands on both walls and leaned in, "Hello Alice, we meet again."<br>Alice glared at him furiously while trying to push past him, "Stay AWAY, Vladimir!"  
>"Shush, Alice" He stroked her cheek and black tendrils rose from the floor started to slowly started to engulf them both, "It'll be easier for both of us if you don't struggle!"<p>

It felt like there was a stampede running around the inside of her head, she felt someone mutter something about "her not being used to teleportation" and that "must be why she fainted." When she heard footsteps gradually getting further and further away from her she opened her eyes and took a peek from underneath her now messy hair to see Vladimir walk out of the room. The room had changed massively since she was last in the queen castle: the walls and floor were pure black and all of the furniture was in the shape of skulls. Alice felt a fluffy tail lightly rest on her shoulder: "Seems to me he classes himself as the Prince of Skulls." The Chessur cat floated in front of her with his trademark wide grin on his face. He dangled a key from his paw then dropped it into her hand, "I thought you might want to free Mallymkun while you're here."  
>Alice smiled at Chessur, "Ches! You genius!"<br>"Go Alice, before he returns!" He then evaporated.  
>Alice remembered where the dungeons where from when she was last in the castle: she ran down series of long dark steps and then tugged opened the heavy metal doors that lead to the dungeon. Mally was pacing back and forth in the small bird cage she was imprisoned in; blast that boy for keeping her trapped in here! Mally clutched desperately at the bars, "DOWN WITH THE SPAWN OF THE BIG HEADED DEVIL!"<br>"I couldn't agree more!" Mally looked down to see Alice smirking up at her, and she had the key to her freedom! Alice stood on her tip toes and just about reached the lock; she cupped Mally in her hands before gently putting her down on the floor. Alice was about to tell Mally to run when she felt cold hands pick her up then hold her against the wall.  
>"You're a bad girl, Alice," Alice felt Vladimir's hot yet minty breath on her neck, "first you run away from me, then you set a prisoner free!"<br>Mally went to pull out her pin which she used as a sword but then remembered that she had bent it beyond use when she had tried to pick the lock of her cage earlier on.  
>Alice shivered with disgust, "You can't force me to love you, Vladimir!"<br>Vladimir chuckled darkly, "I beg to differ- OW!" Vladimir jumped back and tried to shake Mally off of his ankle (that she had dug her teeth into due to the lack of a sharp pin), only for him to be knocked over by a paw, appearing from thin air, striking his face before the rest of Chessur appeared; who quickly evaporated when Vladimir lunged for his throat, only to reappear behind him a second later, Chessur turned his head: "Alice! RUN!"

Alice ran as fast as her thin legs could carry her into the dark; cold night. The trees dark with death; leaning towards her as if they wanted to tear her apart with their claw-like branches. The screaming wind tousled her hair and covered her body in goose bumps. Her heart pounded as loud and as fast as her frantic footsteps against the hard ground, she didn't know where she was running to, she just wanted to get as far away from Vladimir as possible. She heard the dreaded sound of the demon horse's hooves against the ground and Vladimir's voice scream from the distance: "I'll have the heads of your friends on a spike and display them for all to see! Just like what I done to your precious white queen!" His maniacal laughter echoed all around her. Choking back tears, Alice pushed herself to run even faster, but the sounds of hooves were still following her. Alice dived into the thickest bush she could find and prayed to god that she wouldn't be discovered. Through the gaps in the leaves Alice could see his feet slowly approach the bush. She felt her heart beat so fast that she worried that he would hear it and covered her mouth with her hands to stop her screams escaping her lips.

Hatter's house was peculiar: just like the man himself! The house seemed lopsided due to it being on a slope, the roof was in the shape of a battered top hat! Yet it had an inviting atmosphere about it. At this time in the evening Tarrant would usually be sitting in his favourite arm chair while sipping a brand new flavour of tea. But Tarrant was too worried about Alice to relax; he had been pacing up back and forth in front of the fireplace for so long that he could have worn a hole into the rug! He knew that it was probably the best for them to keep apart for a few days: but that didn't mean that he liked it.  
>Hatter ran his palms through his orange hair in frustration: "There MUST be a way that I can help Alice! <span>But hoo? yoo're jist a mad man wit' a hat! <span>No I am not, I am Tarrant Hightopp: the mad hatter! Exactly, thes proves mah point ye dim-witted bampot-"  
>There was the sound of someone frantically knocking at the door, which quickly escalated to someone bashing on the door with their fists: "HATTER! Please let me in!" It was Alice! Why did she sound like she was choking back tears? Hatter opened the door to see Alice shivering with the cold, her dress was torn and her hair was dishevelled with leaves along with thorns hidden within the thickness of her hair. She looked up at him with her tear-filled brown eyes:<br>"I-I know I said we should keep apart for a few days... but V-Vladimir found me anyway. I managed to get away from him by hiding in a bush..." She smiled sadly, "But, stupid little me ended up hurting myself doing so."  
>Hatter spotted the thorn sticking out of her ankle and the cuts on her arms. He ushered her inside and carried her to the soft chair in front of the fireplace. Her golden hair shone like the sun in the light of the fire. He brought in bandages and tweezers from the kitchen so that he can help Alice with her wounds, he talked to her while tending to the injuries.<br>"When you wake up, Alice, just make sure that the cuts don't get infected." He didn't want  
>A look of realisation covered Alice's face: "I didn't fall asleep; I was brought here by Vladimir!" A sound of glee came from Alice, "That means I can be here for good!"<br>Hatter carefully picked her up and spun around with glee: her hair covered her face like golden curtains.  
>"Aam sae plait Ah coods-" Hatter stopped himself abruptly; not sure whether to continue. Alice nodded at him: encouraging him to continue.<br>"Aam sae plait Ah coods kiss ye, Alice!"  
>Hatter felt as if a million weights had been lifted off his shoulders. Both of them turned as red as raspberries, Alice opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by another:<br>"I'm so terribly sorry to interrupt this oh so intimate moment." The voice purred. Chessur was lying on his back in front of the fire.  
>Hatter scowled: "Whit dae ye want ye flea covered moggie?"<br>Hatter was still had a grudge against Chessur, he also wanted to hear Alice's response.  
>Chessur tutted and started to slowly evaporate: "Fine then, Tarrant! If you don't wish to know how to defeat Alice's opak-odrazu, I will leave."<br>"WAIT!" Chessur's smile somehow grew wider as he reappeared.

Alice shivered and wrapped her arms around herself for warmth. She didn't like the cemetery: but this type of surrounding was apparently where opak-odrazu's usually lingered. Chessur had explained the plan to her; along with the risks. _Chess, I hope this works._  
>She gulped, her nerves running riot inside her, but was determined to appear calm: "OPAK-ODRAZU! Come out! I know you're here!"<br>Maniacal laughter came from behind her: sending shivers up and down Alice's spine. "Now, now Blondie. No need to be rude, you only ever refer to me by my species. I never simply refer to you as: "Human" do I? I DO have a name, you know. My species just get to choose our own names."  
>Alice tried to glare (she wasn't sure if she got the desired affect), "How am I supposed to know your name if you haven't told me?"<br>The other grinned: "Raven is my name!" Raven narrowed her eyes and her grin grew more lopsided and evil; her finger light tapping her own chin in faux thought, "Why did you call for me? I think I might actually kill you tonight. I thought it would be more fun to drag it out; but your friends keep getting in the way. Plus, the fact that I'm not the one causing most of the damage done to you is growing quite lacklustre!"  
>Alice-slightly shocked at Raven's almost relaxed approach towards the thought of taking another's life: never mind speaking her thoughts aloud as if it was perfectly normal! - pulled out a bottle filled with a sparkling red liquid: "I would appreciate it if you would hold your tongue for once, <em>Raven<em>!" Alice couldn't help but mutter her name as if it was poisonous!  
>Raven's eyes widened at the sight of the liquid; but quickly narrowed them into a wicked glare: "Don't you know what will happen to you if you drink that, you dim-witted girl?"<br>Alice gulped, but hid her slight fear with a smirk: "My personality may be altered," now it was her turn to narrow her eyes, "but it means I can absorb you: stopping you from ruining Wonderland any more than you already have; you despicable monstrosity!"  
>Alice gulped down the liquid: the sweetness slowly trickling down her throat; almost choking at the vile aftertaste. Raven snarled to reveal her sharp teeth; flames danced on the palms of her hands and weaved between her fingers: the flames reflection clear on her pure white eyes!<br>"Come on, Blondie! You didn't think that I was going to go down without a fight?"  
>She bombarded Alice with balls of fire: who had to dive onto the ground to avoid being burnt to a crisp, Alice felt the heat as the fire narrowly missed their target: she thought the sheer heat of it would cause her skin to melt like candle wax! Alice buried her fear deep inside and hid it from sight: she wouldn't allow Raven the pleasure of seeing her scared! She propelled herself towards the beast that disguised itself in the appearance of a human; rolling and twirling as the beast continued to assault her with fire. Alice finally managed to grab her by the ankle: a small white light formed where her hand was touching Raven's skin, Alice tugged hard at the ankle. Raven plummeted onto the ground, Alice swiftly pinned her down onto the grass: her hands clamped onto Raven's flesh. Raven writhed and struggled underneath Alice's grip: a painfully bright light increasingly engulfed her eyesight as she felt herself fade away.<br>Alice winced at the sound of Raven screaming and wailing in agony, "You deserve this!" Alice said, convincing herself that this had to be done, "You've caused others to feel a much worse pain than this, you obdurate; demoniac; monster!"  
>Raven –now practically transparent-laughed softly, she muttered spitefully with her last few breaths: "I'm being absorbed, this pain will never end, and you call me the monster..."<br>Alice felt her knee's rest onto the grass as Raven disappeared completely... her last words echoed and taunted her inside her own mind: _"And you call __**me**__ the monster?"_

Alice sipped the warm cup of tea that she held in her hands: Hatter had given it to her when he found her curled up in the cemetery. She felt hands rest on her shoulders as they wrapped her up in a blanket. Hatter sat next to her: his arms wrapped around her soothingly:  
>"You had to do it Alice," he reassured her for the umpteenth time, "You stopped both your and other people's deaths."<br>Alice tried to smile; she still felt guilty about murdering a living being: "At least it's over!"  
>Alice heard high-pitched unhinged giggling come from an unknown direction. She turned her head around trying to find the source: she found no logical source of where the noise had come from. But there was one illogical source, impossible... yet the only one possible!<br>_Oh dear Blondie! Looks like you can't get rid of me!_  
>The source was inside her own mind!<br>_By the way, Blondie: you're wrong. This is just the beginning! _

**A/N: Thank you SO much for reading. I might do a sequel depending if people like this story (hence the cliff-hanger) REVIEW FOR FREE TEA AND HUGS FROM TARRANT HIGHTOPP!**


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